Cookie Baking Tips & Tricks

Are you looking to up your cookie baking game? Look no further! Here are some essential cookie baking tips tricks to help you achieve perfect cookies every time.

​With these tips in mind, you’ll be on your way to baking the perfect batch of cookies in no time!

  1. Use room temperature ingredients: Make sure your butter, eggs, and other dairy ingredients are at room temperature before starting your cookie dough. This will help ensure even mixing and better texture.
  2. When rolling cookie dough, you’ll have fewer scraps if you start cutting on the outside edges and work your way in towards the center.
  3. Chill your dough: Once you’ve mixed your dough, chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Chilled dough is easier to work with and will result in cookies that spread less during baking.
  4. A thin coat of Watkins cooking spray on cookie cutters will prevent dough from sticking to the metal.  This will also work with your children’s play dough. 
  5. Use a cookie scoop: For evenly sized cookies, use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough. This will help ensure all your cookies bake at the same rate.
  6. Put a slice of bread in the cookie jar to absorb moisture that causes cookies to become stale.
  7. Rotate your pans: To ensure even baking, rotate your cookie sheets halfway through the baking time. This will help prevent uneven browning.
  8. Keep cookies from burning, put parchment paper on your cookie sheet — then place dough on the paper.
  9. If cookies have stuck to the pan and refuse to budge, return them to the hot over for a few minutes to loosen.
  10. When making cookies use an ice cream to measure the dough.  It’s quick & cookies will be the same size.
  11. Before baking a batch of cookies, bake a “test” cookie.  If the cookie spreads too much, the dough should be chilled for a few hours.  If the cookie crumbles,  add a tablespoon of milk to the dough.
  12. Empty coffee cans make perfect storage or transporting containers for cookies.  
  13. When baking sugar cookies, use a juice can, with both ends cut out, as a cutter.  Before removing can from each cookie, sprinkle sugar through open end to keep it on the cookie. 
  14. When re-rolling scraps of cookie dough, dust the surface with equal parts of flour and confectioners’ sugar.  This will help keep the dough from getting tough.   Try different Watkin’s extracts and flavours for new taste twist!
  15. Next time you make cookies, whip up an extra batch and freeze them in ice cube trays.  Spray each tray with Watkins Cooking Spray,  and fill with cookie dough.  Pop “cookie: cubes out of trays and store in a freezer bag.  When you’re ready for cookies, bakes as directed by recipe, extending baking time as needed (watch for browning.)
  16. Sliced cookies from refrigerated dough will always be perfectly shaped if you freeze dough in small frozen juice cans, slicing it as it thaws.
  17. Store cookies intended for the freezer in empty foil or wax paper cartons.